BIRDS USEFL'L TO FARM AND ORCHARD 



641 



period of a week or more. With the ex- 

 ception of the burrowing owl it is prob- 

 ably the most insectivorous of the noc- 

 turnal birds of pre>. It feeds also upon 

 small mammals, birds, reptiles, batrach- 

 ians, fish, spiders, crawfish, scorpions and 

 earthworms. Grasshoppers, ground-dwell- 

 ing beetles, crickets, and caterpillars are 

 its favorites among insects, as are field 

 mice among mammals and sparrows 

 among birds. Out of 324 stomachs exam- 

 ined, 169 were found to contain insects; 

 142. small mammals: 56, birds; and 15, 

 crawfish. The screech owl should be en- 

 couraged to stay near barns and out- 

 houses, as it will keep in check house 

 mice and wood mice, which frequent such 

 places. 



Bam Owl 



Altico pratincola 



Length, about 17 inches. Facial disk 

 not circular as in our other owls; plum- 

 age above, pale yellow: beneath, varying 

 from silky white to pale bright tawny. 



Range 



Resident in Mexico, in the Southern 

 United States, and north to New York, 

 Ohio, Nebraska and California. 



Habits and Economic Status 



The barn owl, often called monkey- 

 faced owl, is one of the most beneficial 

 of the birds of prey, since it feeds almost 

 exclusively on small mammals that in- 

 jure farm produce, nursery, and orchard 

 stock. It hunts principally in the open 

 and consequently secures such mammals 

 as pocket gophers, field mice, common 

 rats, house mice, harvest mice, kangaroo 

 rats and cotton rats. It occasionally cap- 

 tures a few birds and insects. At least 

 a half bushel of the remains of pocket 

 gophers have been found in the nesting 

 cavity of a pair of these birds. Remem- 

 bering that a gopher has been known in 

 a short time to girdle seven apricot trees 

 worth $100 it is hard to overestimate the 

 value of the service of a pair of barn 

 owls. 1,247 pellets of the barn owl col- 

 lected from Smithsonian towers contained 

 3,100 skulls, of which 3,004, or 97 per 

 cent, were of mammals; 92, or three per 

 cent, of birds; and four were of frogs. 



The bulk consisted of 1,987 field mice, 

 656 house mice, and 210 common rats. 

 The birds eaten were mainly sparrows 

 and blackbirds. This valuable owl should 

 be rigidly protected throughout its entire 

 range. 



Sparrow Hawk 



Falco sparrerius 



Length, about 10 inches. This is one 

 of the best known and handsomest, as 

 well as the smallest, of North American 

 hawks. 



Range 



Breeds throughout the United States, 

 Canada and Northern Mexico; winters in 

 the United States and south to Gaute- 

 niala. 



Habits and Economic Status 



The sparrow hawk, which is a true fal- 

 con, lives in the more open country and 

 builds its nest in hollow trees. It is 

 abundant in many parts of the West, 

 where telegraph poles afford it conven- 

 ient perching and feeding places. Its 

 food consists of insects, small mammals, 

 birds, spiders and reptiles. Grasshop- 

 pers, crickets, and terrestrial beetles and 

 caterpillars make up considerably more 

 than half its subsistence, while field mice, 

 house mice, and shrews cover fully 25 per 

 cent of its annual supply. The balance 

 of the food includes birds, reptiles, and 

 spiders. Contrary to the usual habits 

 of the species, some individuals during 

 the breeding season capture nestling 

 birds for food for their young and create 

 considerable havoc among the songsters 

 of the neighborhood. In agricultural dis- 

 tricts when new ground is broken by the 

 plow, they sometimes become very tame, 

 even alighting for an instant under the 

 horses in their endeavor to seize a worm 

 or insect. Out of 410 stomachs examined. 

 314 were found to contain insects; 129, 

 small mammals; and 70, small birds. This 

 little falcon renders good service in de- 

 stroying noxious insects and rodents and 

 should be encouraged and protected. 



Red-Tailed Hawk 



Buieo borealis 



Length, about two feet. One of our larg- 

 est hawks; adults with tail reddish brown. 



